Hey, Dude, thanks for dropping in! Hope the landscaping is going well.
Was trained by gym intern today, he’s the guy I saw in the NAS. He decided to work upper body in more or less strongman style.
Warmup: 20 lb DBs on incline bench, pulldowns.
Overhead press, regular bar. Strict military style. Empty bar, a dozen reps. He’s strict, wants bar to move back behind head at top, then come back. Shoulders complain mightily, taking my attention. Apparently flexibility issue, the pain doesn’t last past the set. We slap on a couple tens for 65 lbs. I do a few, the pain more or less subsiding. 75 lbs, I croak after a few reps.
Now we go to push press. Legs snap weight up. Can’t seem to get any real speed out of lower body, but he says I’m doing fine. We get up to 80 lbs, I get one rep. God, I’ve got to get some strength in my shoulders.
DB press in incline bench. 25 lbs for a dozen reps. He has me bring them down to where elbows & shoulders start complaining. I make it work. Couple more sets.
Pulldowns, wide grip on thick bar, to chin. Three sets.
Rope pulldowns for tris.
Bar rows. Use a football bar with angled grips, more or less simulate a stone. Add 40 lbs, dozen reps, three sets.
Lying DB tri extensions.
Finally - grip machine. I load up 90 lbs, do half a dozen reps, hold the last. Add 10 more lbs, repeat. Trainer tells me keep arms straight, that’s what happens in competition.
Discussing bringing in stones and/or kegs or whatever.
[quote]cavalier wrote:
But the weird thing . . . it was kinda fun.
[/quote]
Of course it was fun, deep down we all want/need a good punishment!
Techno, wish I could laugh.
So continues my strongmanification program. Warm up with some stretching - that’s a switch. I should do more, I suppose, but never saw any real results from it.
Sled pulls, 3 plates, 4 trips up and down the block. Pretty tough - maybe it’s the temp and humidity. Ooh, how I love the big fans in the gym, standing in front.
Trainer was going to put me through front squats, which I haven’t done in a long while, but went with back squat. Safety bar to box, 5 reps. Empty bar, OK. 25 lb plates, tough. Was stressing out badly. He added a bit more, really straining, trainer stopped me at 3 reps. Struggling to clear my head. Do a couple more sets. Not too bad.
Rack pulls, 5 reps. 135, easy. 155, ho hum. I’m speeding them up. 185, doing it. 205, up they go. 230, have to get legs and hips working together, make it.
Trainer says conditioning is key for strongman, gotta keep moving from event to event. He should have seen me 6 months ago.
Farmer’s walk. 50 lb kettlebells. Down the block and up. Easy. But have to do it again. Keep breathing, keep breathing . . . make it.
Reverse hypers, 50 lbs. Knock out 15 or 16. He adds 20 more. I get a dozen.
Leg curls. Man, I’m exhausted, but get them up.
More strongman training, upper body.
Incline bench with football bar, angled grips. They guess it weighs 30 lbs, 35 maybe. Empty bar, warm up. It feels light.
Couple of 10’s. 5 reps.
Add couple of 5’s. 5 more reps. No problem.
Pair of 25’s. Getting it up there.
Add couple of 10’s. Can only get 4 reps.
Try again. 4 reps. Actually, if I have it right, that’s the same weight as my previous max, but now for reps - looks like a * * * PR * * *.
Go down to a 10 and a 5, push for reps. I’m determined. Get 18 reps, count them.
He brought his loading pin with him and wanted to load plates on it so I could do a kind of stone lifting somewhat, but some of the plates wouldn’t fit. So he had me do DB cleans. DB on floor, grab with both hands, bring to shoulder, then down.
45 lbs, 5 reps each side. Easy.
55 lbs, 4 reps each side. Core really getting hit, he tells me to put more hip into it.
65 lbs, 3 reps each side. More hip, actually felt easier than the others.
Lying on foam blocks (same height as bench, just a bit softer). DB press for 12 reps, slight pause at bottom. I choose 45 lbs. Get them going good and fast, 11 reps. He takes the weight down.
35 lbs, 16 reps. He told me to stop at 14, but I ground a couple extra anyway.
Repeat.
Bar rows, but with football bar. Ouch - that big thick bar in the middle really plays havok with you. 25 lb plates on each end, I get a dozen reps.
Second set, 10 reps.
Third, 12 reps.
Pulldowns, supersetted with curl DB, then press overhead. Two supersets.
Finally, hold large kettlebell and do side bends. I grab a 50 pounder and knock out 40 reps per side. Hmm, I wonder if that was too light?
Nice PR on the incline. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.
[quote]cavalier wrote:
Lying on foam blocks (same height as bench, just a bit softer).
[/quote]
LOL, took me back to when I used to do DB bench presses on my bed when I was young whippersnapper. I’d sink into the middle of that old mattress and I wouldn’t be able to get the hell out afterwards. Great days!
Nice work Cav , have a good 4Tth. I just signed a huge contract that will take me through the next year. All stone work. Busy , Busy, Busy.
Hawkman, thanks.
Ah, Brett, you remind me of doing sortof calisthenics in my room when I was a teenager.
Wow, Dude, paid money to lift stones. What can I say?
Happy Independence Day for all you Americans. Trainer asked me to come in the morning so they could close the gym early.
Warmup: prowler. 2 plates, 3 trips down the block and back. Overcast, barely drizzling, cool - very nice. Got some speed in it.
After catching my breath, deadlifts. Double overhand. Standing on block. “Put some speed in it!!”
115 lbs x 3. Zoom.
135 x 3. No sweat.
155 x 3. Going fine.
175 x 3. Training partner, a nice young lady, is hitting the wall.
195 x 3. Hmm, slowing down a little.
215 x 3. Grip starting to give me problems.
235 x 3. Damn, grip giving out, can’t make it all the way.
Trainer tells me do again. Grr. I look at the chalk stand . . . I’m a neatness freak, don’t like getting dirty, but if it helps . . . grit my teeth, put my hands in, powder up my palms.
235 x 3. Vooomph! All the way up! Trainer so impressed he tells me do it again.
235 x 3. Got it!
“What’s the most deadlift you’ve done before?”
“I did 275 in competition.”
“It’s not 275 any more”
Big ego boost.
Leg curls, 3 sets, 8 reps, push hard.
Farmer’s walk. 50 lb kettlebells. “Only 50?” “Wait. You have to take them to the small brick building and back.” He points to a tiny dot you need binoculars to see. “You want a strong grip, don’t you?”
Ulp. I take the things across the street and start plodding through the wet grass. The drizzling isn’t bad, actually cools me a little. Grind, grind, grind. Traps are flashing SOS. Finally get back to the gym. Palms are begging for mercy.
3 sets of abs and I’m done. Will spend rest of day eating and grading school projects.
Nice progress there!
Thanks, Techno. I’m crawling there.
Today I face my old nemesis, Mr Military Press. Trainer drills me on form: keep close to body, chest up, push around head and go back
bar x 5
65 x 5
75 x 5
85 x 3 trainer had me stop at 3, was getting buried by it.
95 x 2
seemed promising, so he had me slap on another couple of plates
105 x 0
grr. it just wouldn’t go. I’m unhappy, but he says it’s a bit better than couple of weeks ago.
Seated incline DB press
30 x 10 was shooting for 8
35 x 8 was shooting for 6
35 x 8
One arm DB row. 50 lbs. 10 reps, do 3 sets. Put a little zip on them so got worn out by rep 10.
He’s trying to think of upper body strongman stuff to do. I pointed out the meet had them hold a plate at arm’s length for time. We talk about that, cross variation, etc. He gives me a pair of 10 lb DBs. Alternating front stiff arm raises.
10 x 12
10 x 12
No problem. So he has me try and hold both at the same time as long as possible. I get them up and GAGGG they start sinking. Throw them up, start sinking again. Get 10 secs, more or less. Rest, try again. Can’t even get 10 secs.
He hands me a couple of 8 pounders. Lateral raises, go for 15. Grunt . . . strain . . . push . . . get 5 . . . 10 . . . 15, I guess. Catch breath, sip water. Do again. Think cannonball delts . . . think cannonball delts . . . somehow use pure mental power to finish them.
Finish up with tri extensions on cable machine. I grab Grenade, pull, and GGGGGNNNNNNNGGGGG. Turns out machine is sticking. A few months old and it’s already busted. Someone else had noticed and the whole things reeks of WD40. I grind through some sets, which will get me first - the muscle burn or the fumes?
A bit of stretching and I’m done.
Lower body strongman workout. Warmup with prowler, one plate. Moving fast.
Dumbbells. Right hand deadlift. Left hand deadlift. Then clean to shoulder.
70 lbs.
75. Core unhappy.
80. Wobbled a bit, but OK.
85. No sweat.
90. Did it.
Intern thinks that’s enough, but trainer say “Why not 100?” I grab it, lift with right, lift with left, grab, suck air, then lurch it up. Damn, I made it.
Getting heavy, so just deadlift. Right hand, then left.
120. Tough, but got it. (Girl says “That looks like a lot!”)
150. The biggest they got. Chalked hands. Stood over it. Grabbed, heaved, and . . . it rolls out of my grip. Grr. They grab some wrist straps and slap them on. Grab, pull . . . it comes up. I made it. Both hands.
Squat machine. Strap on hip belt, go at it. Two plates, 5 reps. Two plus quarter, 5 reps. Three plates, can only do a couple. Grrr. He takes weight down, I do a few more.
Kettlebell swings. Last time tried these a few months back, could only do 50 lbs before conking out.
50 x 12 no sweat.
75 x 12 ooh, tough, but made it.
75 x 12 call . . . police . . . someone . . . pumping . . . oxygen . . . out of . . . the gym
Now that I’m worn out, what’s next? You guessed it - conditioning! Grab a weight vest, hold in front. Walk down block and back. Twice. Bleah.
Finally, 3 supersets of hyperextensions (with 45 lb plate) and leg curls.
Feeling like someone took a baseball bat to me . . . but seem to be making progress.
Brilliant! I am using the baseball bat test for workouts from now on.
You laugh, Corrmhona, but today was another baseball bat session.
Upper body was scheduled for today, but sortof got sidetracked. Trainer brought in some toys from home: a 120 lb stone, a keg with 50 lbs water in it, and a 70 lb keg.
Stacked up boxes about 4 feet high. Grab stone and put on top. Yeah, I’m doing it. Up it goes. Hmm - roll onto belly, bend back, press onto it. Ten reps total. Wow - it didn’t seem that hard, but really panting from it.
Next, go outside. 50 lb keg. Grab top with left hand and bottom with right. Go down block and back. So I’m off - easy peasy. Then, about half way, body suddenly conks out. Exhaustion. Barely make it back. Next: grab 70 lb keg by both handles. Hold between legs. Waddle. Oh God, this isn’t working. Can’t make any progress waddling. I lurch and lurch and barely make it a couple of feet. And wow, that sun is awfully hot today. It takes absolutely forever to reach the end of the block. Then turn around. Wheezing like a vacuum cleaner. Grab it, waddle a ways, then drop. Gasping. Grab, waddle, drop. Grab, waddle, drop. Gym entrance isn’t getting any closer. Somehow, finally, make it.
“You got to do it! That’s what medley is all about!” Well, it wasn’t for lack of effort.
He points to a pair of 60 lb kettlebells. Farmer’s walk. I’m off (we all suspected as much). No problem, then body goes into oxygen deprivation. Make it to the end, drop bells. Sucking air as hard as possible. Finally pick them up and drudge forward. Try to console myself that this is more weight than previously. Finally get there, drop them, and instant dizzy spell. It’s gone in a moment, but I stumble inside and collapse on first level surface I can find. Pant, pant, pant.
Finally trainer pulls himself away from the pretty girls and sees how I’m doing. “One more!” Great. I get ready to chalk up for the kettlebells. “No - one more circuit! Kegs AND farmer’s walk!”
This time, he has me do the 70 lb keg first and 50 second. Doesn’t make any different. The weight isn’t the problem, it’s my body sending red alert signals of immediate stroke. Trudge the keg down, pacing myself, taking it slow. Blazing sun. Get back. Suck water. Grab and waddle. I hate this - effort but not getting anywhere. Feels like an hour to get down and back. Gasping. Suck water. Finally grab kettlebells and go. Make it down. Make it back.
I make it back inside and drop onto a bench and stay there for 10 minutes. Then slurp last of water. Then stand in front of fans. Finally recover enough to drive home.
Go ahead. Try and convince me you work harder than that.
Looks like you are improving, Cav.
Yay!
I guarantee I do not work harder than that. I would be on the floor gasping less than half way through! I’m insanely jealous, in fact, as that sounds way more “fun” than just lifting bars and shuffling about looking at sheep.
I do like the idea of a baseball bat beating for rating a workout. We need adjectives we can rank the beatings with: “beaten with a baseball bat”, “liberally beaten beaten with a baseball bat”, “curb pounded by a baseball bat”, “hospitalized by a baseball bat”, “put in traction by a baseball bat” and maybe “crippled by a baseball bat” for the top end. 
For myself I don’t think I have worked up to a “beaten” yet. Your log, on the other hand, is inspirational!
Yes, 2busy, I am improving. Only going through 2 tanks of oxygen per workout.
Corr, you do have a way with words. Well, when you get to that level of punishment, verbal skills tend to evaporate. Personally, I envy the folks that can do this stuff without the misery.
Whew. Hot enough to boil oatmeal on the sidewalk, or whatever. Trainer gave me the option of warming up by dragging the sled under the broiling sun or do the indoor treadmill. No contest. Treadmill.
So much torment the last workout, I’m in a bad mood. Ready to take it out on the weights.
Squat machine with hip belt. No bench or box for a change, just go deep. Feeling aggressive, warmup empty carriage 22 reps. “That’s too many” trainer says. A good start.
One plate. Ten reps. Good and deep. Easy.
One and a quarter. Trainer says 8 reps. I do 10. Woo . . . no hard, but out of breath.
Two plates. Trainer says 6 reps. Grr. I’m mad. I slam out 2 . . . 4 . . . 6 . . . 8.
Two and a quarter. Trainer says 4 reps. I do another 6.
Three plates. Trainer says 2. Hmm, tough. I do 2.
Deadlift. Good news - bar sitting up on boxes, almost like a rack pull. Bad news - it’s the thick bar. One plate on each end. I try double overhand. OMIGOD, this is tough. Bar struggling to slip out of my grip. I do once . . . twice . . . thrice . . . bam, it’s on the floor. Chalk up, no better.
Add 10 lbs to each end. Grab, and it just won’t go up. Weight’s not a problem, it’s my damn grip. Trainer has me do mixed grip. It goes up.
Add 25 to each end. Man, how much does that stupid bar weight? Ugh. I do it . . . somehow.
While I rest, they replace the thick bar with regular and replace plates with 25 lb bumpers. High pulls! I never did those before. Looks easy. I grab, pull, and god knows what happens. Nothing’s working together. Hips, shoulders, legs, arms are completely out of sync. I try 3 reps. “Did that look as ugly as it felt?” “Well - yeah.” We try a few more sets. Not sure if I ever got the hang of it. I’m flopping and jerking all over the place.
Over to the bench. Hip thrusts. Shoulders on bench, feet on floor. I knock out 12 reps, easy. Then we do it with a 30 lb DB. Gotto go for 30 secs. Pump, pump, (kinky, isn’t it?), pump. Out of breath. Do it again. Wow, this is working something.
Pretty beaten up. Head home for eats and rest.
Hey Cav, I enjoy reading your log man. I always feel silly doing thrusters, but they’re definitely a good finishing move for the hams/glutes. Nice work on those squats. Show that instructor who’s boss!
Very kind words, Wiex. I was very pleased with the squats, fighting to get some decent numbers someday. Glad you enjoy the log.
Trainer is one of these cocky guys who’s hard to impress (he benches 500), but he respects me. I do the one thing that gets his attention - I work my butt off.
Frankly, I don’t feel at all silly doing the thrusters. I just imagine . . . umm . . . er . . . well, it’s kinda kinky. Never mind.